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Dine With Design: Thanksgiving

I have to say that I do believe Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. The foods of the season bring back so many good memories of my maternal grandparents. For as long as I can remember, we would all pile in our station wagon and head to my grandparents’ house in the then small-speck-on-the-map town of Dripping Springs. There wasn’t even a grocery store in the town at that time. Other than a few churches and local mom & pop stores, Dripping Springs was literally in the middle of nowhere. My grandmother used to drive all the way in to Oak Hill to purchase groceries.

My mom is from a family of 5 and so that, paired with the fact that my grandparents’ house was in the center of town on 290, meant that there were always at least 50 people there each Thanksgiving between family and friends who just decided to drop by for dessert.

No one, not even my mom (sorry Mom), can make cornbread dressing as good as my grandmother did. She also made the best giblet gravy ever, and of course the turkey. The rest of the family would bring every dish you could think of under the sun to go with my grandmother’s fixings. She tried to teach me how to make her dressing, and I was actually able to do it for a few years, but then I suddenly no longer had that special touch like she did. It was never too dry or too mushy when she made it. It is truly one of the great cooking mysteries and art forms.

Thanksgivings are still great, though they will never be the same as they were at my grandparents’ home, and so anytime I eat turkey and dressing, it takes me back to that happy place.

My grandmother never had to worry about leftovers, but most of us do. We can only eat so many plates of turkey and dressing before we need something different. This delicious Turkey Tortellini Soup with Greens is great whether you have a lot of leftovers or just a little. If miraculously all you have left is just a turkey carcass, then start your soup by putting the carcass in a pot of water and slowly simmering it for a few hours. You’ll be surprised at how much meat comes off the bones, plus you’ll get all of the nutrients from the turkey bones in the broth as well.

To add that extra touch of elegance and luxury to the meal that you’ve undoubtedly been cooking all day, start with a shimmery gold table cloth that will make the fall colors pop and the candle light reflect a little brighter.

I love Etsy. It’s one of the few online retailers where you can find handmade and one-of-a-kind pieces from people all over the world. These table runners come in a variety of sizes and have different Thanksgiving sayings to choose from.

Unique dishware is always fun, and this turkey set is just too good to pass up.

These beaded place mats create the perfect complement between the brown in the plates and the gold in the table cloth.

I love doing centerpieces like this when you don’t have a whole lot of time to set the table. They give you a very full, intricate look, but it’s all just one pieces that’s easy to pull out of a box and give it a little fluff whenever you need it.

Utilizing bundled grass or hay is a great way to incorporate the natural element into this tablescape, and they’re usually available at most grocery stores.

These pine cones are actually ornaments! Use them as a table scatter in between the hay bundles and candles for some extra sparkle.

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All of the products featured in this post, other specified otherwise, can be purchased through Robin Bond Interiors.